The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-02-23
THE TERRIBLE MELINITE.
n Explosive with Ten Times the Power
Of Nitro-Clycer.ne.

|
is, therefore, naturally, fruitful theme
for discussion. The center of French
military operations now is at Bourges,
where the new explosive is being manu-
featured for experimental purposes.
Bourges has taken the place of Metz
and Strasburg. 1t is here that expert
ments are going on without ceasing,
and corpse of distinguished officers
are seeking solution to the problem
how to kill, at a single stroke, as many
men as possible. 1t is frightful prob
lem, which science should solve as
speedily as possible, for there is good
reason to hope that the solution will
prove the ending Of all wars-wars
which had some of The elements of
chivalry a century ago, but have become
hideous since chemistry has taken a
hand in them.
The two men who discovered the
principles of melinite are Captains
Locard and Hirondart, who are attach
ed to the gun factory at Bourges As
reward for their invention M. Locard
has been promoted to the rank of
Major and M. Hirondart has been
decorated. Major Locard is regarded
as a savant of the first rank. Scarcely
any of his time is given to the routine
Of military service, but he devotes him.
self constantly to the technical studies
Of the service. He is more OF a chem
list and inventor than soldier. His
latest discovery, in connection with
Captain Hirondart, is this destructive
powder, which has been christened
melinite, because in color it resembles
honey (mieD.
Following the first experiments with
the substance, which we're made at La
Fere, works for testing the invention
have been pushed actively at Bourges.
Three small forts have been con-
structed to try the effect of the new
shells charged with melinite. The
forts, which have been finished several
days, look somewhat like truncsted
pyramids. Two are of concrete and
pebbles, and the third, which is the
largest, is of asphalt and silex. 1t is
IL meters about 50 feeD high, and
cost $1,000 francs about $4,000.
The other two cost together 10000
francs (about So aoo). 1t is predicted
) that the melinite will destroy these
works, solidly built as they are of extra
hard materials. in less time than it
takes to write it. Daily experiments
have heen made on a small scale, and
their result has been so satisfactory
/ that wagon loads of materials for manu-
featuring the new explosive are arriving
at Bourges daily Ether is one Of the
t principal ingredients of the powder,
and as the production of this is only
; about 100000 Kilograms annually in
: France, Minister Boulanger has his
agent out buying ether wherever they
} can find ii, and some has been pur-
, chased in Germany for the manufac-
ture of The shells which are expected
to be some day used against the forces
Of that Empire.
To launch the shells charged with
} melinite no special design Of mortar is
required Gen. Boulanger has decided
on the immediate manufacture Of 2fo,-
900 melinite projectiles, which will be
ready by spring, but the shells are to be
made at Lyons and Rive-de-Gier in
stead of Bourges. When they are
ready for charging they will be trans
ported 10 Bourges, and there the nell
mite will be introduced. Boulanger e.
plains his action in the matter by stat
, ing that the Government has workshops
at Lyons all ready for producing the
shells, and that he will save 500, ooof
by having them made there. The
melinite is being manufactured at
Bourges as fast as possible under the
supervision of its discoveries.
The destructive power of the new
Explosive is reported to be 100 times
that of ordinary gunpowder or ten
times that Of ni.ro.glycer.ne. An ordi-
nary shell, falling on the roof of a build
ing bursts and skaters everything in
its immediate vicinity. The melinite
shell is intended to strike the
ground at the foundations Of the
building, and once there it explodes
and shoots everything into the air, re-
ducing beams and joists to an almost
impalpable powder.
In the meantime while the manufac-
ture of this terribleexplosive is going or,
its inventors are experimenting with a
new rifle powder, which explodes with
/, out making any smoke, and which will
enable body Of infantry to fire on the
enemy from cover without betraying
their position by clouds of smoke. The
chemists are developing into wholesale
slaughterers Of men, and when the
time comes, as it apparently will come,
that a general by blowing a whistle can
annihilate 100, 900 of the enemy, GOV
ering line of several leagues, the
theory of universal peace, found on
c wholesale massacre at distance will
4 a .e....l., Jo,., 0,,ctrota1